Tigers outfielder Andy Dirks is expected to miss at least 12 weeks following back surgery, the team announced.

Dirks had been slated to platoon with free agent signing Rajai Davis in left field, taking most of the playing time as the left-handed-hitting option, so his injury opens the door for Davis to take on a bigger portion of the starts.

Davis brings a ton of speed to the table and is a plus defender in left field, but he hasn’t shown the ability to hit right-handed pitching consistently. Dirks, meanwhile, is a career .278 hitter with a .751 OPS versus righties.